For operating a steam using facility in a favorable manner, it is necessary to maintain appropriately a balance between a generation amount and a consumption amount of steam in the steam using facility and also to discharge appropriately condensate generated due to e.g. consumption of steam to the outside of the facility. For example, when a generated steam amount of a steam generator decreases or a consumed steam amount in the steam using facility increases, a trouble will occur in the operation of the steam using facility due to shortage of steam. Also, when a generated condensate amount increases, this generated condensate amount may exceed a condensate discharging capacity of a steam trap, which will lead to accumulation of condensate within the steam using facility. As a result, heat transfer may be hindered, whereby pipe corrosion or water hammer may occur. The balance between the generated steam amount and the consumed steam amount in a steam using facility and the generated condensate amount associated with steam consumption vary depending on operational states of the respective devices (whether the devices are normal or operating or not or the generated steam amount and steam use amount of each device, etc.). So, in management of a steam using facility, it is necessary to cope with a change in the balance between the generated steam amount and the consumed steam amount and generated condensate amount in the steam using facility.
And, for instance, Patent Document 1 proposes a method according to which information such as generated steam amounts of various steam generating devices, consumed steam amounts of various steam using devices and condensate discharging methods are grasped and based on these information, a technique for improving the facility is searched. Based on the searched technique, the steam generation amounts and consumption amounts of the respective devices are adjusted and the condensate discharging method is improved, whereby it is possible to cope with change that occurs in the balance between the generated steam amount and the consumed steam amount and the generated condensate amount.